Written by Board Member, Ren dela Cruz
Birthdays are often spent in celebration with loved ones close to us, and there is no doubt the feeling of being cherished and honored on our special day is something every birthday celebrant looks forward to. But it is such great joy for us when sponsors reach out to celebrate their birthday through an outreach event — a picture of generosity and selflessness, wanting others to be honored and cherished as well, especially those who are in need of love and blessing the most.
Ate Lila is one such person who chose to celebrate her birthday with the kids of 2KK Payatas. 2KK, which stands for Tulong sa Kapwa Kapatid Foundation, creates sustainable communities through the education and empowerment of underprivileged children and youth. Last February 11, we went over to 2kk with ate Lila and five other volunteers, to share her special day with 2KK kids.
We started the day with a customary Getting-to-know, so the kids would be more at home with their new ates and kuyas as they got to know them better. After grouping the volunteers and kids together into smaller teams, we then proceeded with a favorite part of the program — games! Much to the kids delight, we played three original U! Happy games that got everyone excited and bonded. We played Arrange Yourself, Math Trivia, and Reverse Charades, all not just for fun, but also for skill and character building for the children!
Our resident magician, kuya Koby, came next so the kids can sit down and enjoy his magic showcase. The kids and kids at heart thoroughly enjoyed it, and he even involved the audience in his highly engaging magic show. To replenish all the energy spent, the volunteers led by ate Lila then gave meals to the children and ate with them, extending more bonding time.
To cap off the amazing day, we greeted ate Lila, took a group photo, and asked the kids to hug their newfound friends goodbye. Thanks ate Lila for sharing your blessings!
